Stay With Me
by vampirediva07
Summary: Ted Pryce has been brought to justice. Will Eleanor make Jasper leave? Or will she open her heart one more time? Set after 2x10.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own The Royals...though sometimes I wish I did. Read/Review/Enjoy!**

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Eleanor sat in her bedroom, looking at the stained walls where she had violently spray painted over everything. She had gone into a fit of rage when she did that and part of her deeply regretted it now. A lot of things she had done since her brother's death she regretted. And a lot of things she had done since her father's death too. But at least some of that would be put to rest now that their killer was brought to justice. Ted Pryce would pay for what he had done to her father and brother, which satisfied her.

Now the most pressing topic on her mind was Jasper. She had told him to leave once this was over because he had hurt her, but he had pushed the button for her to show the video of Ted, and she had held his hand at the stadium and he had been the one to get her through the crowd of paparazzi. In those moments, she realized that he was a man who had a single mission…to protect her at all costs. And she saw a different side of him that she had not seen before as he held her and got her through that crowd. He brought her back to the palace and had disappeared, but according to Mr. Hill had not left the palace grounds yet.

"James?" she called. Her bodyguard peeked his head inside the door as she stood up from her chaise and grabbed her phone.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Can you tell me where Jas…Mr. Frost is, please?"

"He was packing the last I saw of him," he replied. "The Prince was arranging a car for him to leave the palace around seven tonight."

Tonight. He was leaving tonight and never coming back, just like she'd asked him to. But the thought of him walking out and never coming back sent panic rippling through her. Why would she feel like this after all he had done? He had lied to her, intended to steal from her, and used her. But at the same time, he had done nothing but be honest with her since coming clean about the con. He had been the one to bring Ted to justice and find the truth when no one else could. And he had been there to help her through some of her hardest days, even when she shut him out and pretended he wasn't there. He had followed her around the world to keep her safe when she had no security detail, which was something he didn't have to do. Jasper Frost might have been the most infuriating man she'd ever met in her life, but he cared. Even if he had a funny way of showing it sometimes, he cared about her.

"James, I need you to stay here…trust me," she said. "I'll be in the Palace, so no need to worry about me."

"If you need anything, call me," he instructed.

Eleanor nodded and took off down the hall. She knew what she had to do and her stomach was in knots thinking about it. Everyone always said that she was the confident one, but that was a façade that she put on to make people think she was confident even when she was scared as hell, like right now. She was terrified of opening her heart to someone after all the hurt she'd been through with Jasper, then Beck, and lastly Mandy or whatever the hell her name was. But her mother had said to choose love, even if it scared the living hell out of her. People moved out of her way as she came through the servant's corridors to reach her destination. She knocked three times and waited. When the door opened, Jasper stood there in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt.

"Your Highness," he greeted formally.

"You always call me Princess…" she said, sounding disappointed. She had grown used to his mocking tone, which she knew now was playful.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"No…" she answered, looking up at him. Nothing was alright because he was leaving and she couldn't spit that out right here and now because she feared what he might say or if he would reject her.

He opened the door for her to come in and she stepped inside his small, but clean room. She turned around and looked at him.

"Jasper I…" she paused, looking at her hands, suddenly afraid to say the words she had come to say. Opening herself up again seemed impossible given all the heartache she'd had, but when she looked at him again, it was like it clicked. "I want you to stay. I don't want you to leave."

Forgiveness was a difficult thing to come by for Eleanor, especially given that she had been hurt so much before. Jasper had lied to her, blackmailed her, slept with her mother, and was going to con her before he came clean. But since then, he had been doing everything he could to prove to her how he was sorry and that he did care about her. And even though she wanted to ignore it, she'd noticed.

"I don't want to go…but I have hurt you and you don't deserve that hurt anymore," he said, looking at her.

"You also healed part of me and gave me peace about my father's death," she replied, looking at him with tears. "You made mistakes and did things that were awful, but so have I."

"You haven't done anything wrong…not to me the way I have to you," he said.

"I forgive you." Her words surprised even her as she had never said them to Jasper before about anything he had done. But she had seen the changes and knew that he was trying to do right by her. "Please don't leave me."

Everyone left her. Her father and brother were taken from her before she was ready to ever say goodbye to them. Beck had tried to change who she was before she was ready and then let her walk out into the chaos of the paparazzi alone, moving on with his life without her. But Jasper…he met her where she was and saw her for the broken and damaged girl she was, giving her reason to go on by just accepting her as she came to him.

"I won't leave…so long as you want me to stay," he said, looking at her. His steel expression had softened tremendously as she was completely vulnerable to him.

She nodded and moved to close the space between them and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. His heartbeat was soothing as he wrapped his arms around her and brushed one hand through her hair, holding her close to him. Eleanor had no idea what this would mean for them or what the future would hold, but she knew that at least he wasn't leaving. And if that was the only answer she had tonight, then she was okay with that.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for the positive feedback. Let me know what you think and enjoy!**

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Eleanor woke with light in her face and grumbled. Early mornings were never her favorite time of day but she was a princess, so her life was centered around early morning, per her mother's scheduled orders. Her dad used to let her sleep in when it was just him in the Palace while her mother was on trips. Sometimes she really missed the simplicity of her dad being in charge. She missed a lot of things about having her dad around; including all the side trips he would sneak her, Liam, and Robert on for ice cream or to go to a park like normal kids. He made sure they had normalcy in their lives, even as royal children.

Rolling over, she saw the figure in her bed and smiled a little. Jasper was asleep still, lying curled up to her. He had a t-shirt and sweatpants on, but he almost looked...younger in his sleep, like he was less worried and a lot less angry. She was still in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt she stole from him. They hadn't had sex, but still...this was the most intimate thing she had done in ages with him. And it felt real and genuine. He had stayed the night with her after coming back to her room and listening to her talk about her relief, guilt, pain, and fear. About everything she had been feeling lately.

"Morning," he mumbled softly.

"Hi," she replied.

His body was warm against hers and she felt at ease for the first time in a long time. Even though they weren't on solid ground yet and it certainly wasn't any kind of relationship as of now, it was a good place to start over for both of them. Jasper was the kind of man she had needed all along and never knew it. He was bossy and infuriating a lot of the time because he could be an unmitigated ass, but at the same time he genuinely cared for her and took care of her.

"Did you sleep?" he asked, opening his eyes to look at her.

She nodded, "Better than I have in a while."

Since the death of her brother and then her father, there weren't many nights she had slept that weren't drug or alcohol induced. But last night, she had really slept easily and soundly without the aid of drugs or alcohol to dull the screams of her nightmares. Jasper made her feel safe and like she had some sort of control in her life that she didn't have otherwise. Turning, she faced him in her bed and tangled her legs with his as she touched his cheek. It was rough and unshaven, but comforting at the same time because it was Jasper.

"There is a lot to do today," she whispered.

"I've got to talk to Hill about new protocols for you and Liam," Jasper replied.

"What about Ophelia?"

The thought occurred to her that her friend was no longer safe now that her father was revealed as a murderer. People would be looking for revenge and the easiest way to do that was strike back at someone's family member…Ted Pryce had done it in murdering her father and brother, so who was to say someone wouldn't do it to Ophelia, even though she was an innocent party in all of this.

"I made plans with Hill to extract her last night after the match. She is on a plane here with a security detail, but wasn't given any other information."

"Do you know what's going to happen when she lands?" Eleanor knew that she wanted Ophelia here, close to her, so that she could be protected and cared for.

"I believe Hill is escorting her from the airport directly here," he said, sitting up. "There is a lot of demands for blood out there and we are taking every precaution that she isn't harmed in the initial aftershock."

Eleanor nodded and sat up with Jasper. "Thank you…you don't know how much I appreciate you and Mr. Hill doing this."

"Ophelia is not a guilty party…but a lot of people are going to treat her like an outcast because of what her father did, but she didn't do anything. No one should be cast out for the sins of their parents." Jasper's words were laced with more meaning than Eleanor was ready to hear this morning.

No one in the immediate family blamed Ophelia and she knew that no one wanted her to be hurt any more than she already would be. The hardest part of this whole ordeal for Eleanor was knowing that her friend's father was the one who had murdered her father and brother. A man who had served their family even longer than Eleanor and Liam had been alive. It wasn't Ophelia's fault, but the guilt would weigh heavily on Phe because Eleanor knew she cared about their family. She cared about Liam, even if she was with some other boy now. Her brother also still loved Ophelia, even if he denied it a thousand times. And she loved Ophelia like family, so she didn't want to see any harm come to her.

"Does my brother know she's coming?" she asked after a few quiet moments.

Jasper stood and grabbed his hoodie. "No. Hill thought it best to leave your brother alone for a while…he wanted time to himself."

"Did we do the right thing?" she asked, standing up as she pulled a blanket around her, wrapping herself up protectively.

"Pryce…had to be stopped. He killed two innocent people and was part of a plot to keep harming members of the Royal family," Jasper responded, putting his phone in his pocket. "The options to bring him down were limited and we did the best we could with what we were given. Don't feel guilty for putting someone who deserved it behind bars."

"I just…I wonder if it's what my Dad would have done." Eleanor's gaze fell down to the floor as she thought about what her father would have done.

"Your father was a good man, loyal to his people and hardworking. He was murdered and deserved justice." He looked at her and reached out to touch her hand.

"I think about Ted grieving Daphne, Ophelia's mum, and how much pain he was in after losing her. No one stopped to think that her loss might send him over the edge. Even Phe didn't know how much he was hurting," she said, bringing her gaze up to Jasper's. "He misplaced his blame to my family because he believes that had he not been serving our family, his wife would have been spared. And my mum was kind of a bitch to him when he was grieving."

"Someone selfish took the life of Ophelia's mom…someone who had poor aim and a shitty attitude about life. That group of people took advantage of Ted Pryce's pain to turn him against the family he swore to protect. I understand that he lost someone significant to him, but placing the blame on your family, despite your mother's heartless comments, was wrong. He was wrong and you have every right to want justice."

Eleanor nodded and moved forward to hug Jasper, burying her face in his chest and breathing in his scent. She hadn't been this vulnerable in a long time, but she knew that what he said was right. Her family, though messed up and secretive, was not at fault for the death of Ted's wife. The only direct party related to her family responsible was her grandmother, Dutchie, as she orchestrated Dominique's "accidental" death, which in turn lead to her family seeking revenge and ultimately setting in motion the events of today.

"Let me know when Ophelia arrives?" she mumbled, looking up at him after a few moments.

He nodded. "I'll text you the moment she's safe in the Palace walls."

With that, Jasper excused himself to go work and wait for Ophelia's arrival. She knew that was the first priority right now, next to getting Cyrus' fat ass off the throne. But that would come when the DNA tests were redone to prove she and Liam were their father's children. Left to her own devices, she got in the shower and dressed for the day, knowing it was going to be a difficult one for a lot of people. She got on her phone when she was done and saw a notification for a text from Imogen.

 _I'm doing alright now…got a nice apartment and was able to get an honest job working downtown. Wouldn't have been able to do any of it without your help._

She smiled and knew that at least some good had come of the last few weeks. Imogen was a good friend that she cared about and she was thankful that they had been able to pull her out of that situation she'd found herself in after rehab. She knew that starting over was never easy, but she believed that given the right chance, someone could begin again.

 _Glad 2 hear it. Please keep in touch and come see me? Or I can come to u._

 _I will. Come 2 visit soon and have dinner. I'll even cook._

Eleanor grinned and replied that she would soon. She didn't know how to cook anything herself, but she appreciated the gesture of friendship from Imogen. Growing up, she didn't have a lot of friends outside of the palace, so it was nice to have someone else normal in her life. Ophelia's friendship meant a lot to her, so Imogen's friendship was equally as important. She only hoped that her first friendship wasn't damaged beyond repair when Ophelia found out the truth about what had happened. For now, she could only hold her breath and wait.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: You guys are seriously awesome. Thank you for all your feedback and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

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Waiting anxiously, Eleanor tapped her fingers on her phone screen and debated texting Jasper for the nine hundredth time today. She was nervous about Ophelia arriving safely and knew that there was a lot of drama going on outside of the palace walls that she had no control over. Until her friend was safe inside the gates, she would continue to wait anxiously. He had promised he would tell her as soon as Ophelia arrived, so she decided against texting him and sighed, lying back on her bed as she looked up at the ceiling. Thoughts circled around her mind about the events of the last few days, but mostly centered on what would happen now. Her twin brother was going to be King once the DNA dispute was settled once and for all and she knew that she couldn't have been prouder of him. And Cyrus, the scheming bastard, would be thrown out on his ass with the two half-wits he called his daughters. Even if Maribel and Penelope were supposedly her cousins, she honestly didn't know what branch they fell from on the family tree.

Her phone buzzed while she was thinking about the complexity of her own family, causing her to sit up suddenly and look at the screen to see who had sent her a message. Jasper had texted her that Ophelia had arrived to the palace safely without any major issues, causing her to breathe a sigh of relief before opening the message to reply.

 _Bring her to my room._

Jasper had read her message, according to the receipt notification, so she knew that he would be bringing in Ophelia any minute. Her friend deserved to see a familiar face and get the explanation from someone who cared. Liam was in no place to do it since his anger still got the best of him, so that fell to her now since she was the only other person who really could do this. She got up and grabbed a cup of tea before sitting down to wait.

"Jasper, I don't understand…what the hell is going on?" Ophelia asked as they came through the door. She locked eyes with her friend. "Len, what's happening?"

"I think…you need to come in and sit down so we can talk," she replied cautiously.

Ophelia looked at her for a moment before coming over and sitting down on the couch, concerned and somewhat scared. "What's happened?"

"We…we've found my father and brother's murderer," Eleanor began, realizing how hard this conversation would be with her best friend.

Her friend's face fell solemn. "Len…I'm so sorry. Who…who did it?"

This was going to be the hard part…right off the bat. And Eleanor didn't realize how unprepared she was for this moment because it was going to shatter what was left of Ophelia's world and she didn't know if she could do this to her closest friend. Ophelia had lost her mother and now her father was going to spend the rest of his life behind bars for murdering the King of England and the Prince. It wasn't going to be easy to swallow.

"Jasper worked very hard to find out information surrounding the murder…and he uncovered a video of the events that lead to my father's death," she explained carefully. The video was still on her phone from the upload to the game, so she placed it on the coffee table in front of Ophelia and pushed play.

As the video played, Eleanor kept her eyes on Ophelia as she watched in horror and disbelief as it revealed the events of the night King Simon died and that Ted Pryce was the killer responsible for his death. Her friend began to tear up and shook her head, not believing what she was seeing on the screen.

"No…no, no, no…not my Dad," Ophelia gasped, covering her mouth as she cried out. "How could he…?!"

Ophelia began to break down as she looked away and began to shake violently, holding back the sobs that were wracking her entire body. For a moment, Eleanor didn't know what to do because this was not something life ever prepared you for. But when Ophelia continued to shake and cry, Eleanor didn't hesitate to reach out and touch her to let her know she was still there and not going anywhere. None of this was her fault and even though Ophelia was probably questioning everything she ever knew, Eleanor could never blame her for what her father had choose to do that night. At first, Ophelia jerked at the slightest touch, almost afraid of it, but after a few minutes she was accepting and turned to hug Eleanor.

"I'm so…I'm sorry," Ophelia whispered, clinging to Eleanor.

"It wasn't your fault," she reassured her friend. "None of this was your fault."

There was a lot more to tell Ophelia about the history her family held and why her father had gotten mixed up with Domino, but that was for another time. Ophelia needed to grieve right now and process the fact that her father had murdered two people in cold blood. Truthfully, Eleanor was still processing all of it herself since Ted had been a fixture in her family since before she was born. He had been her father's security detail since Robert's birth and present through almost every part of her life. Ophelia had grown up around her, Liam, and Robert when they were young and they had gone on outings together when their fathers coordinated so Ted could be present and secure the family.

"Where…where is my Dad now?" Phe asked when she had calmed down some.

"There was a nasty riot at the game…he was injured, so they transferred him to the hospital for care before he will be taken to prison," Len replied. "He has a guard watching him and he's handcuffed to the bed."

"I know the things he's done…and I know how awful they are, but is there a way I could see him?" Ophelia looked at her with reddened eyes. "I want to know why and I deserve some answers from him."

"I'll see what we can do…but it's dangerous to leave right now Phe. Lots of people are calling for blood and no one here in the Palace wants to see you hurt because you're his daughter and the only person in the world he has left."

Her friend nodded in understanding and wiped her eyes. All of this was a lot to take in and she knew that Ophelia would have to process all of this in her own time. But the main objective of getting her safely here and under their roof was accomplished, which was all Eleanor had been worried about for the last few hours. The rest of it would fall into place in time, but she knew that for now, they were all safe in the Palace and that the rest of the world would have to take it's time in dealing with the revealed truth.

"How's Liam?"

"He's…handling it the best he can," she said. The question had caught Eleanor off-guard since they had been sitting in silence for a few minutes.

"I saw his video…the one that went viral. I'm proud of him…" Ophelia looked down at her hands and Eleanor knew there was more she wanted to say.

"You still love him, but you're stubborn and started dating this Nick guy because you were mad at him for leaving you in New York," she finished.

"I…it's complicated," Phe defended. "He came to see me in New York."

"He told me…but for the record, he didn't make the call to that company in New York. Gemma did. She was jealous because she saw how happy you made Liam and how he was willing to walk away from everything for you."

Her brother was a good man and she was so proud of the leader he was becoming now in the wake of their father and brother's deaths. Liam had grown up a lot in the last year or so, so she knew that he was going to be a wonderful King and she would stand behind him without any reservations and do anything she could to make sure that he was respected and loved. If she'd been born five minutes earlier, she'd have been the one in the hot seat looking at ruling a country, but she was thankful that she was not only the youngest but the only girl.

"Nick and I broke things off a week ago…" Ophelia revealed after a moment. "He said he didn't want to compete for my attention anymore because he knew that I still was in love with Liam. And he was right. But after this, how could he ever look at me the same knowing what my father did to your father?"

"You are not your dad and your dad's sins are not yours." Eleanor believed that with everything she had because her grandmother had murdered someone, but that was not who her mother or even she was. "It won't be easy because there is a lot of history there, but I know he still loves you. He tries so hard to distract himself but it always comes back to you. You make him happy."

"I don't belong in your world though…and everyone is always so quick to remind me of that."

Eleanor scoffed. "You belong. You play the game as well as any of us do and you managed to piss off an heiress to a diamond fortune. Your only flaw is that you cannot outdrink us."

Ophelia laughed, making Eleanor smile. Even though Ophelia had been born to a common family and an American mother, she had as much grace and intelligence as anyone in the palace and carried herself as such when the situation called for it. And given time, she knew that Ophelia could very well be the next Queen, with some guidance and a lot of training. Her priority, however, was not that but rather making sure that her brother and her best friend were happy because there was enough unhappiness in this family. Change had to start somewhere and she knew it was easiest with her and Liam.

"Thank you…for making sure I was safe. You didn't have to do any of this, but you did."

"That is what friends do," Len replied. "We look out for one another and take care of each other. I would not stand by and let you get hurt."

Hugging her friend, Eleanor hoped and prayed that the coming weeks would be kind to Ophelia as her father was transferred to prison for life and she adjusted to life here again. She would do all she could to help her and knew that once Liam knew she was here, safe and sound, he would want to help too. At least that's what she hoped.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Read/Enjoy/Review!**

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The days that followed Ophelia's return were a mess of details and change as everything began to take shape and new truths were brought to light. Eleanor kept to herself and out of the way of everything going on given that there was a lot going on that she had no say in, but Jasper slept in her room almost every night, holding her in her sleep. She still could not trust him, completely, yet…but he had been there when most everyone else had walked out on her, including Beck. And that meant something to her.

After the first week had passed, she and Liam were summoned to her mother's office. Eleanor dressed in a pair of jeans and a band shirt before going in and sitting down. Liam came in shortly after, sitting beside her.

"Any idea what this is about?" he asked.

She shrugged. "My guess is as good as yours. But it's probably the paternity test."

"You would be right," their mother said, walking in with an envelope in her hand. Rachel was right behind her, carrying her phone and other agenda information.

"Oh, well…let's get this over with then, yeah?" Eleanor was anxious all of a sudden and didn't know why. But she'd been through this disappointment before, so she was hoping for the truth this time around.

Their mother sat at her desk and looked at them. "My instincts were right. Both of you are Simon's children, without a doubt."

Eleanor breathed a sigh of relief as she no longer had to live with the question of who her real father was. It was the man who had raised her all along. She still held a deep sea of regret that she had bucked against him for so long and held him at arm's length when she was deep into drugs and alcohol. If he could see her now, things would be different. She was two weeks clean and sober, which was the longest she'd gone in a long time. It didn't mean that she didn't still have the urge, especially when she was under stress, but she was learning to manage it differently.

"What happens now?" she asked, looking from her mother to her twin brother.

"Now we push Cyrus' privileged ass off the throne and reclaim it in the name of our father," Liam answered. "And give the people something to believe in again."

"Well I'm all for dumping Cyrus' ass off the throne and sending the half-wits we call our cousins packing," she said, knowing her uncle just needed to disappear into oblivion while he shriveled up and died of cancer.

"Patience, Eleanor," her mother reminded her. "We don't want to play all the cards in our hand yet, now do we? We want Cyrus to think he has a false sense of security right now given I just sent away his only son."

"Still one of your better ideas, Mum," she praised. "Cyrus doesn't need to raise another spawn to turn out like him. Or worse."

"So what happens now?" Liam asked.

"I'm going to take this knowledge to Parliament to change the order of succession back to the original, with you and Eleanor both on it as heirs," Helena explained. "Once that is done, I'm going to have Cyrus arrested for treason and fraud. He'll be going right to prison or if he's lucky and I'm feeling sorry for the bastard, the cancer ward of some far away hospital."

"Whatever you decide, just do it quickly before I have to sit through another event with him on the throne," she groaned, getting up from her chair. "I can only take so much before I might stab him with scissors myself."

Excusing herself from the room, Eleanor left and walked down the hall with the newfound knowledge that her Dad was her father and nothing was changing that. Biology didn't lie and she now knew that the qualities inside of herself that she actually liked did come from her Dad. And that was the biggest relief of all. She stopped in front of his portrait, looking up at him. The painting was regal, just as it should be, but didn't capture the real man that she, Liam, and Robert knew. She had photographs for that. Her favorite was one she kept in a frame on her vanity, once hidden by drugs. It was a photo taken when she was about four-years-old. Her mess of dark hair was all over the place, but she was happy as she sat in her Dad's lap while he was reading a book to her.

"He was a good man and a great King," a voice said from behind her, causing Eleanor to jump. She turned to see James coming toward her. "I never met him personally, but I respected him for who he was."

"He was a good King," she agreed, smiling a little. "And an even better Dad. I miss him."

"The ones we love never really leave us. They may not be in the same place for a little while, but they're still here guiding us."

"I just hope to make him proud of me because before he died, I know he wasn't terribly proud of the person I was before he died." Eleanor looked at her hands, reminded of one of the last conversations she'd had with her Dad before he was attacked. He had expressed disappointment in her because of the life she was choosing to lead and he had been trying to teach her a lesson about choosing another path.

"Parents often express disappointment not because we don't love our children, but because we do love them and want them to be better…to do better," he offered. "Your father knew that you were capable of great things, Your Highness, but felt you could not see that."

"Everything has changed so much since he died…I hardly recognize myself sometimes without the drugs," she admitted. "It's not easy to stay away from them, but I have to choose this life every day to make him proud and to keep going."

"Sobriety is never easy, but I think that you have won some major battles in the last few weeks that have proven how strong you are."

Eleanor smiled and nodded. "How is your daughter getting along now that you've moved?"

"She's doing well...she's very pleased to be closer to me and hoping to catch a glimpse of you, actually," James responded with a chuckle.

"You should bring her up for tea in my room. I would love to meet her since you talk about her so much," she said with a grin.

"She would like that very much. It would make her whole day."

Eleanor smiled and patted his shoulder as she walked by. James had been promoted to Head of Security in the wake of Ted's arrest and she couldn't think of someone more deserving than him. He would keep Liam safe and Jasper had been transferred back to her security detail…which was more or less because they were sort of dating, but not really. He slept in her bed every night, which meant she was safer than ever before. And she had never felt safer than in his arms.

She walked along the hall and went to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. It was quiet since she was the only one around, so she turned on some music and looked around. The paint from her tantrum was still all over the walls, so she decided that it was time to clean up another of her messes. She got a bucket from one of the maids and put some soap and water in it before starting to scrub down the wall and door. Some of the paint came off in a bloody pink mess, but the stain was still there. The door would have to be repainted and the wallpaper replaced, which were things she could have done. But the painting of her was beyond repair and would have to be thrown out and redone, if she wanted it redone. But for now, the room was clean and she was done as she popped off her rubber gloves and looked at her work, satisfied that she had done it herself. When the door opened, she looked as Jasper came in.

"Doing some remodeling?" he asked, looking at the bucket and then her.

"Just cleaning up a mess that should have been cleaned a long time ago," she replied, shrugging her shoulders before sliding the bucket out of the way.

Jasper looked at the door and the wall as he came in further, nodding in approval. "You did that yourself?"

"You sound so surprised," she scoffed.

"When have you ever done anything like that in the time that I've known you?" he asked.

"I do things for myself!" she defended hotly. Even though she was a princess, she knew that she could do things for herself and had done them before.

"Like what?" he challenged.

Damn him.

"I…do things," she said, waving it off and going to turn off the music on her phone. "We have important things to talk about."

"What things?"

"Liam and I are legitimate, meaning Cyrus will be thrown out on his ass any minute now and my brother will be crowned King," she said, sitting down on her bed. "The next few weeks are going to be critical and I want to be positive that you are going to protect my body."

Jasper looked at her and for a moment, she saw the old Jasper shining through; the man who constantly was spinning his wheels for ways to one-up her and get the upper hand in their situation. He was brilliant and always kept her on her toes. And even though she didn't appreciate the blackmail, she did enjoy the control and the intellectual discourse between the two of them. He challenged her and wasn't afraid to make her think on her toes or speak out of turn even though she was a princess, unlike anyone she'd ever met who kissed her ass or pretended to like her because she was royalty. Jasper actually, genuinely cared about her even though she was often a pain in his ass and vice versa.

"I would die protecting you," he finally said, moving closer to her. He stood beside the bed on her side and looked down at her, his fierce blue eyes cutting right through her.

"Why?" No one, save family, had ever been this dedicated to her or cared about her this much in her whole life. Not even Beck.

"Are you going to make me say it?" he asked, keeping his eyes on her.

She didn't respond because she wasn't sure if she was ready to hear it yet. In her heart, she wanted to, but she was also scared because people who had told her those words in the past hurt her. They had left her alone and walked away when things were hard or tried to change her before she was ready to make that change herself. Beck didn't understand that she had needed the noise and the distraction of her drugs and alcohol to deal with her father's death. Jasper understood that need and stepped away, but kept tabs on her when she was floating around from city to city in search of something…some form of distraction. As much as it annoyed her then, she understood those actions now.

"I love you, Eleanor," he finally said. "I'm so in love with you it makes me crazy sometimes. All I want to do is make sure that you're taken care of…it doesn't matter what happens to me."

Nodding, she moved to her knees on the bed and grabbed his hand, pulling him close. She framed his face with her hands and leaned in, kissing him for the first time in months. Even though she couldn't say it back yet, she felt it…deep down in her heart. She loved this man and he loved her. And that was all she needed to get her through the coming days. Through Liam's coronation and the future of their monarchy as it began with her and her twin brother. So long as she had Jasper beside her, she would be okay.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I know that some have been asking for longer chapters and I will do my best to oblige! Please read/enjoy/review!**

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One of the hardest parts of learning to trust someone again was trying to forget all of their wrongs against you. Eleanor was learning this the hard way with every day that she spent trying to let Jasper in after the events at the stadium. For every stride forward that they made, she pushed them two back with her insecurity and inability to let go of the past. All of the hurt in her life kept pushing itself to the surface, bubbling up when she thought that she had been able to put it behind her. But she supposed that it would take years of self-care and someone else caring for her to put to rest all the insecurity and damage done by others that had hurt her or used her in the past.

Jasper was quick to care for her when no one else would. He held her in her sleep when she cried out and had nightmares of losing her Dad, brushed her hair out of her face when she would thrash around and finally calm down, and promised her she was safe and that no one would harm her. And through that, she relaxed more and loosened her grip on the intense grudge her heart felt for his past actions. He slept in her room every night and no one once said a word or balked at it because they knew, for the first time in probably five or more years, Eleanor was happy. Even her mother seemed to approve as she would often smile when she and Jasper would walk into the room together.

"Princess, we have to get up," he said, poking her side as she was half-asleep.

"Nuh uh, I'll stay right here, thanks," she quipped, groaning and pulling the blanket up higher around her. Mornings were never her thing and she hated them more than anyone else she knew.

"You wanna explain to your mother why we're late?" He yanked the blanket, causing her to screech as she slapped his arm.

"Mum will wait if she knows what's good for her…I won't miss her depositing Cyrus' ass out on the stoop." Today was the day that Cyrus was getting his ass handed to him and she couldn't wait to see what would happen.

"Then I would get a move on and get up," he replied. "I want to see him freak the hell out as much as you."

Grumbling, Eleanor got up from her warm and comfortable bed, tossing a pillow at Jasper as she did. She really was not a morning person and somehow, she'd wound up with someone who didn't mind it so much. How the hell had that happened? Going to her closet, she slipped in and looked around for something to wear, settling on a pair of tight black jeans, boots, and a red and black shirt. She changed her knickers and put on a bra before slipping into her clothes and coming out again to find Jasper already dressed in his usual attire.

"Do you ever get bored wearing suits?" she asked, going to brush out her hair and put on some makeup.

"Sometimes, but at least I never have to worry about what I'm wearing and black is supposedly classic," he joked, giving her a small grin as she looked in the mirror.

Rolling her eyes, she smiled and began to put on her foundation and blended a cream to cover the dark circles under her eyes. Makeup was her way of putting on her mask, much like her mother, but in a different way. Eleanor was bold and loved dramatic colors whereas her mother preferred the polished and proper look. Lately, she'd toned down her own make up a notch or two, but still kept her black, winged eye-liner. It helped her feel confident when she was in a weak moment and brought out the green in her eyes. When she was done, she put everything away and stood up, coming over to Jasper.

"Ready?" she asked.

He nodded and they were out the door and on their way to her mother's office. Today was going to be a good day and she could feel hope for the future for the first time since her oldest brother's death. As she came into the office, she saw her mother and twin brother already waiting for them. Her mother held in her hands the documents that legitimized her and Liam as the rightful and sole heirs to the throne of England as well as the line of succession that would crown Liam in the coming weeks. Meeting eyes with her mother and brother, she nodded and everyone was ready as they made their way down to Cyrus' bedroom. Unceremoniously, they opened the door and came right in to an unaware and unprepared Cyrus.

"What in the bloody hell is the meaning of this?" he demanded, glaring at the four of them.

"Your time is up," Eleanor said cockily. "You're officially being canned."

"You can't sack me, I'm the bloody King of England," Cyrus scoffed. "I can take away your titles as easily as I gave them back, you mongrel brats."

"I wouldn't speak to your future King and the Princess Royal like that if I were you," Jasper warned.

"And who the hell are you to tell me anything, American filth?"

Eleanor gritted her teeth and clenched her fist, ready to knock her uncle into the middle of next week, but Jasper put his hand on the small of her back to calm her down. One touch was all it took to bring her back to reality from the brink of seeing red. Rationally, she knew that it wouldn't look good for her to do so, but it didn't curb her desire to kick his ass.

"Cyrus, you are guilty of treason and forgery, therefore you are being placed under arrest," her mother finally spoke up. "His Royal Highness, Prince William Arthur Simon Henstridge, is the legitimate heir to the throne and therefore, you are being stripped of your title and will be forthwith imprisoned until it is decided what your punishment shall be."

"You bitch!" Cyrus shrieked as he threw his glass at Helena. Jasper was quick to step in front of it and swat it away before James and other members of the security team came in and arrested Cyrus. "You'll all pay for this…mark my words!"

"I really don't think someone who has ball cancer is going to do much of anything. Off you go then," Eleanor smirked, waving at her uncle as he was taken away.

That part was over and she was more than relieved as she spun around to look at Jasper. He had cleaned himself off from the scotch and picked up the glass from the floor, setting it on the table. Everything had happened so quickly and she knew that it would continue to snowball until the coronation before things would die down. Now that Cyrus was going off to prison, things would begin to really change and rumors would quickly spread as everything became public knowledge. Her mother had planned to address the nation tonight, declaring Liam the rightful heir to the throne and she was exceedingly proud of her brother for how he had stepped up to the plate and become a mature man.

"Thank you, Jasper," her mother said sincerely.

"You're welcome, Your Majesty," he replied. "Real men don't throw their drinks at ladies."

"Well Cyrus is only half a man with one ball…" Eleanor snorted.

She caught the smirk on Jasper's face and the stifled laugh from her brother, knowing that it was funny. Even her mother cracked a smile as she turned to face her and Liam.

"Now that Cyrus is gone, I will temporarily be acting monarch while we prepare for Liam's coronation," she explained. "Rachel and I have a lot to plan, so I'll leave you two to the rest of your day."

When their mother was out of sight, Eleanor looked at her brother and smiled. They had really done it and now the future rested in their hands, which was a scary thing but kind of empowering at the same time. At twenty-two, Liam wouldn't be the youngest King by far, but it certainly held a lot of weight that he was so young and taking on a responsibility that he had not been groomed for since birth the way Robert had.

"How you doing, Lenny?" he asked, giving her a small smile. It had been a few days since they'd really talked.

"Some days I'm alright and some days I wonder what the bloody hell I'm doing," she replied honestly. "You?"

"Same." She knew her brother had a lot more on his plate than her, but they were like two sides of the same coin as twins, constantly feeling the same way at the same time for very different reasons. "How's Ophelia?"

"She…is emotionally a shit show right now, but who can blame her?" Ophelia had been staying at The Palace for her own safety and Eleanor was privy to her friend's pain and confusion.

"I wish I knew how to help," Liam admitted. Her brother was still in love with Ophelia and that much was painfully obvious. Even though her father was a traitorous murdering bastard, Ophelia was kind and good…everything that her mother had been.

"Someday you'll know what to do," she assured him. "And when that day comes, she'll be ready to talk to you…and open up. For now, just let her know you care because I think that's what she needs the most right now."

Liam nodded and hugged her once before slipping out to prepare himself for tonight, leaving Eleanor alone with Jasper in Cyrus' old room. She turned to face him and gave him a small smile. Right now, she felt like she was propelling forward with her life. Cyrus was out of the way, her brother was ascending the throne, and she had finally gained some direction in her life. She had made the decision to invest in the charities her oldest brother was interested in and look for new ones herself. One of particular interest to her was the shelter for battered women, given her experiences with Imogen. She also had interest in going back to school, but hadn't expressed that desire to anyone yet, not even Jasper.

"What should we do now, Princess?" Jasper asked after a few moments of silence.

"Jasper, have I ever introduced you to Charlie?" she asked, smiling as she suddenly got a brilliant idea for how to spend the rest of her day.

Four hours later, she and Jasper stumbled into her bedroom. For the first time in ages, she was all smiles and full of laughter, like she once was when she was young and carefree. They had ridden all around the grounds and got caught out in a sudden rainstorm, forcing them to seek cover and then run inside, sopping wet. Jasper tried to cover her with his jacket, but even that wasn't enough to stop the torrential downpour from soaking them both. Laughing, she shut the door and he grabbed her waist, pulling her to him as she was slipping and sliding on part of the floor.

"That was…amazing," she said, calming herself down as she looked into his eyes. His hair was soaked and his shirt was pressed to his chest, revealing the chiseled muscles beneath.

"You're all soaked," he commented, brushing part of her hair out of her face.

"Wet clothes can get you sick…we should change," she said softly, placing her palm against his chest. His heartbeat was steady and strong beneath her hand as she deftly moved it up to unbutton his shirt.

Without a second thought or hesitation, she leaned up and kissed him, pressing her lips to his. Her hand moved to his neck as she drew him closer and she felt his palms on her back as he held her against him. In the last few weeks, they had made out a few times and things got heated, but something always held her back. Fear of being hurt, the pain of the past…always something in the back of her mind kept her from giving in. But today was different as she held herself to him, kissing him passionately and without reservation.

"Take off your clothes," she demanded when their kiss broke.

"Now who is being the demanding one," he commented, smirking at her as he pulled his shirt off and tossed it aside. "Unbuckle my pants if you want me, Princess."

Eleanor didn't waste any time in complying with that demand as she popped open the button of his pants and unzipped the fly, purposely brushing along his semi-hardened erection. She knew exactly what she was doing and how to make him want her since they had become experts at this game long before now.

"Take off your shirt," he growled, kissing along her neck and cupping her ass.

Stepping back, Eleanor turned around to face away from him before slipping out of her shirt and unclasping her bra, dropping it to the floor near her bed. Her boots came next before she pushed off her tight pants, inching her panties off with them as she purposely bent over in front of Jasper, knowing his favorite view was of her ass. She could hear his groan of approval and laid on the bed, turning to face him, completely bare. His boxers were strained as she could see he was struggling with wanting to come over and take her.

"Jasper," she commanded. "Come over here and take advantage of me."

That broke all the control he had as she saw him remove his boxers and step over to the bed. A moment later, he was sliding over her and his hands were moving along her thigh. Her legs spread to welcome him between them, but he didn't give her what she wanted right then. Instead, he skillfully ran his fingers along her, barely brushing, causing her to jerk her hips forward and gasp. God it had been so long since she had felt this. Moaning, she leaned up and kissed him, demanding that he give her what she wanted as she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer. But he was intent on torturing her a little while longer as he resisted and moved his fingers quicker.

"What do you want?" he asked in a low, sexy whisper against her ear.

"I want you inside me…right now," she said.

All she had to do was ask and her wish was granted as he quickly thrust into her, making her gasp at the sensation of being filled. Jasper was the only one who made her feel…whole, like there was nothing missing. Sex was fulfilling with him. He knew her wants and her needs better than she did and was apt to satisfy them like no one else could. Each thrust was slow and deep, pushing her steadily toward the edge she craved so desperately. Jasper knew what he was doing and she appreciated those talents, though she didn't want to think how he had perfected them. He was hers and hers alone now.

"Harder," she demanded, whimpering as she used her legs to drive him deeper.

He kissed and nipped her neck as he thrust harder against her and suddenly flipped them, bringing her on top. Eleanor sat up and looked down at Jasper as she rolled her hips to meet his, riding him slowly to tease him at first. When she felt herself reaching that edge, she braced her palms to his chest and rocked against him harder and faster, gasping and whimpering until she reached that peak and cried out. Jasper let her ride out the wave of her orgasm, slowly thrusting to lengthen it before thrusting two more times hard and releasing himself. Coming down from her high, Eleanor leaned in and kissed him, her still damp hair falling down around them. When she moved off of him and to the side, he rolled onto his side and wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her in. She smiled and relaxed as her back met his chest, content in the moment.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry it has taken me so long to update...I've been sick/stressed this month. Also, apologies for a shorter chapter. But please enjoy and review!**

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Eleanor woke in her bed, naked and tangled up in Jasper's arms. For the first time since she could remember, she didn't flinch away or try to remove herself from her lover's embrace, but accepted it. He was still asleep, so she glanced up and smiled. Jasper did look so much younger in his sleep, less worried and more relaxed. Sometimes she wondered what weight of the world he carried on his shoulders to make him so tense all the time and other times, she felt like she didn't want to know his past because it would take away from the progress they had made. Perhaps one day she would ask about it, but for now, they were living in the present and he was the person she chose to be with.

His past wasn't his future. And neither was hers.

She had removed the drugs from her room, but it didn't make the ache and the need for them go away. Twice since she had removed them, she had thought about going to seek them out again, but stopped herself when she thought about the changes she had wanted to make. James had encouraged her to start with what she could control, the boys and the drugs. Boys had gone out first, but then the whole debacle with Mandy/Samantha happened, so she tossed out girls too. And finally, the drugs went right along with everything else. Now she had let Jasper back in, slowly, and was learning to build a relationship on more than just blackmail and sex.

"Morning," Jasper grumbled as he stirred beneath her.

She looked up at him and gave a faint smile. "Morning…did you sleep okay?"

Jasper nodded and looked down at her as he opened his eyes, squinting with the light streaming in the bedroom. "Did you?"

"Better than I have in a long time," she replied honestly. Sleep didn't come easily to Eleanor once she'd stopped the drugs, but the last few weeks it had been getting better with Jasper there with her. Even without sex, he was comforting to her.

"We should get up…you have a fitting for the Coronation," he said, rubbing his hand along her bare back.

"Mm…I can be late," she said, smirking as she kissed his jaw and ran her palm along his chest. She wanted to stay right here, basking in the first real happiness she'd had in a long time. "Mum might shit herself, but she knows I'm never on time for anything."

"Well that's true," he teased, laughing. "I think if you were on time to something, they wouldn't know what to do."

Eleanor smiled and laid on her stomach, resting her head on his shoulder. "Mum is also insisting we do the Masquerade this year again…to show we're in good spirits and that things will continue to be well with the monarchy."

"Are you gonna make me wear a tux and a mask again?" He arched his brow at her as he glanced down, looking curious as to what her answer might be.

"Maybe." She smirked and glanced up at him. The thought of Jasper in a tuxedo did things to her that she had never felt for anyone else before. He looked so damn good in them though and it was hard to resist an event where she could have total control over what he wore.

"Then I might wear it," he shot back.

She snorted and leaned up to kiss him once before slipping out of bed, stealing the covers with her as she got up, leaving him naked on the bed. Glancing back, she smirked at the man that was all hers. No one else would ever have him and she was perfectly fine with that because he was all she wanted. Jasper challenged her, pissed her off a lot of the time, but genuinely cared about her and took care of her when she needed it.

"I'm going to shower…can you please go find out from James what Liam's agenda is today and check on Ophelia?" Eleanor really had never asked Jasper to do anything before, but rather made demands of him.

Jasper got up and pulled on his boxers before coming around to her. "I will. Did you want breakfast brought up?"

Nodding, she kissed him once and then slipped into the bathroom to shower. The hot water was a nice relaxer to her as she let it slide over her and dampen her hair. She had always loved showers as a way of waking herself up and preparing for the stress of the day; Or to wash off the dread of the day when it had been a particularly bad one. When she was done, she wrapped a towel around her body and another around her hair before slipping out and changing into a pair of leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. If she was going to a fitting, she was going to be comfortable while doing it.

Several hours and dresses later, Eleanor was done with her fitting for the Coronation. Her mother was pleased with her choice of dress and she knew that while it was formal, it was still her own style and she would be able to wear it comfortably.

"Mum, can I ask you something?" Eleanor looked to her mother once the staff were out of sight and earshot.

"Of course," her mother replied.

"The man you loved…before Dad, you said that you would have taken a pebble ring over all of this…would you still do it now?"

"The choices aren't always so easy nor do they come around a second time…but if I were given that choice and I knew that your brother was secure, I would," Helena replied. "But I am afraid that my chances with the man I loved are gone."

Eleanor frowned, now knowing how much her mother had sacrificed to be where she was. She had never known that her mother's family depended on her marriage to the King to save them from financial ruin. Nor did she know that her grandmother had arranged for someone to be killed in order to secure that marriage. Her mother had carried that burden on her shoulders for over twenty years and she didn't know how she had done it. All of Eleanor's life, she had thought her mother was stuck up and had always wanted to be Queen because of the power it brought her. But her mother had never truly wanted it before she became Queen. A part of her now understood why her mother had always been aloof in a sense, because a piece of her heart had always been missing when she was made to marry someone she barely knew.

"Did you ever love Dad?" she asked, fiddling with her fingernails.

"I did. We became close, he and I, after we married and I was able to set aside my heart," the Queen replied. "He became my closest friend and in our early years, the one person I could talk to. After Robert was born, we became much closer and much to our surprise, you and Liam were born not long after."

"Are you saying Liam and I weren't meticulously planned out spares?" Eleanor raised her eyebrow at her mother. All her life, she thought she and Liam were the spares every monarch had in case their firstborn died.

"Not at all. Your father and I went away for a weekend when Robert was still very young to get away for a little while and about a month after we came home, we found out we were pregnant with you and Liam," Helena explained. "The bigger surprise was finding out we were having twins, which we kept a secret. Everyone knew about Liam, but you were our little surprise to the world."

A faint smile traced her lips. She hadn't heard her mother talk like this in a long time and she had missed this side of her. Eleanor could remember when she was young how she would spend time with her mother and sit at her feet, coloring or playing with a plastic pony. She remembered hearing her mother speaking in French to delegates and picking up words here and there to repeat back to her later just to make her proud. Over time, she had spent more time with her father and a chasm developed between herself and her mother, which she sometimes regretted because she needed her mother more than she liked to admit to herself. But since her father's death and learning about her mother's first love, they were trying to mend the bridges and fix their relationship before anything else horrific happened to their family.

"Was Dad upset I wasn't another boy?"

"No…oh no, he was actually thrilled to have a daughter after two sons. You should have seen him the day you were born. He was so proud of you and held you in his arms all day, showing you off to every single member of the staff." Helena smiled at Eleanor and walked over to her desk, opening up a box. She pulled out a photo and showed Eleanor. "This was the very first photo we ever took of you."

Looking down, Eleanor felt a tear in her eye as she saw a tiny version of herself in her father's arms. She was wrapped in a pink blanket and she could see her coarse black hair sticking up every direction, a trait that she had inherited from her mother's side of the family. But her father looked so proud as he held her in his arms, grinning widely at the camera. This was a photo she had never seen before now, but she felt the strings of her heart pulling as she looked at her father and could see how much he loved her. A big part of her felt a pang of loss again as she realized she would never see that smile again.

"I miss him, Mum," she finally admitted, looking up to her mother with teary eyes. "I said a lot of stuff I regret and did a lot of things I regret. And he won't ever see that I changed…or that I'm trying to change."

"Your father knew you were always capable of great things. And even in the moments where he was disappointed, he always had faith that you would come out of your phase and be the person he always knew you would become," Helena said. "I know he's proud of you, even now."

"He would be proud of Liam too…so proud," she added, smiling. Her brother had grown so much and she was in awe of how grown up he had become since losing Robert and then their father all in the same year.

"He would be. Liam is going to make a good King…he is compassionate and much like your father, a leader for the people."

Eleanor smiled. She knew that was true and that her brother was going to be a great leader once he was officially crowned. For now, they were focusing on getting to that point and she knew that the preparations would take time. Her dress was almost done and she knew that her mother's was as well, so they were just waiting on the official announcement of his coronation. She still had so many questions, but those could wait for now until things were settled and everything was official for Liam. Until then, she was content to continue to live her life in the background with her bodyguard beside her.


	7. Chapter 7

The Coronation was growing closer and Eleanor knew that once it was all settled, she could finally breathe for the first time in over a year. After all the uncertainty of her paternity, who had murdered her father and brother, and the turmoil in her life, she was ready for a much deserved break. And she knew exactly where she would spend it and _whom_ she would spend it with. She deserved some time away from the palace, her royal life, and the drama she had been living the last year or so. Even her mother agreed and had given her the encouragement to just go once her brother was crowned King of England. So she had planned a vacation to Costa Rica for just her and Jasper. Everything was falling into place as James would stay behind as her brother's security detail and she would set off with Jasper alone.

However, it was still weeks away and they had to make it through her mother's Masquerade tonight and her brother's Coronation in a few weeks. Eleanor had been through her closet four times to find a dress to wear and nothing was calling out to her to wear for the evening's event. So she had called in reinforcements and brought Ophelia in to help her decide what dress to wear.

"You do realize that my brother is completely still in love with you, right?" she asked casually as they looked through the racks of dresses in Eleanor's bedroom.

"It's…complicated," her friend replied, sighing.

"Well aside from the fact that you're related to a murderer, what's so complicated?" Eleanor realized how harsh that sounded and looked at Ophelia apologetically. She hadn't meant for it to come out like that and knew that Ophelia was still reeling from the news that her father had murdered Eleanor's father.

"I love Liam, I do," Ophelia said, looking at her hands. "We're just trying to find out how to make things work because of who my father is."

"The things your dad did do not make you a horrible person. His problems are not yours because he chose to act on his own anger and hatred rather than thinking about the one beautiful and wonderful thing he had left in his life," she insisted, taking her friend's hands. "You look like your Mum. He should have seen what a wonderful gift she left behind and focused on you."

"I don't know why he chose the path he did, but I know my Mom would have told him to stop. She was never a violent person and had a lot of respect for your Dad, even if my father's loyalty made him a workaholic."

"Well, I have nothing against you and Liam being together. You're good for my brother because you keep him grounded. And I see how happy you make him." No one had ever made Liam's eyes light up the way Ophelia did. And despite her common birth, Eleanor one day hoped to call Ophelia her sister when the time was right.

"And would the people accept a Queen who has the father I have?"

"Phi, they accepted Henry the Eighth with six different wives and even though he was most likely mad as a hatter, so I'm sure they will love you because you make their King happy," Eleanor responded confidently.

Ophelia couldn't help but laugh as she looked through the dresses on the rack. A moment of silence fell between them before she brought out a dress and held it up, looking at it with admiration. It was a brilliant blue that faded into midnight as it neared the bottom with glitter, like the night sky lit up with stars. Eleanor was hoping Ophelia would notice this one because it was perfect for her to wear and happened to be her size.

"Len?" she asked, holding it up to her body.

"If you wear that dress, everyone will fall in love with you." The Princess wasn't wrong. She knew it was an impressive dress that would make Ophelia look like royalty, which was exactly what Eleanor was going for.

"What about you?"

"I have a dress in mind," she replied, picking out the dress she intended to wear from the rack and held it up. "It's a lot less slutty than last year, but still…sexy as hell."

"Well you look amazing in anything, regardless, so it's perfect. And I think Jasper will love it," Ophelia added, grinning.

"I intend to take advantage of that," she grinned. Oh she had wicked plans for Jasper, but this time he wouldn't stop her. There was no blackmail this year and no awkward tension between them anymore, so she was going to be a very happy princess by the end of the evening.

"How are things between you and Mr. Bodyguard?" Ophelia asked, arching her eyebrow slightly.

"As of now, things are _very_ good," she replied smirking. "Jasper is…well, he and I…it's complicated." The sentiments mirrored how her friend felt about Liam in a way. Right now, they were in a good place for the first time in their relationship, ever, and she didn't want to rock the boat by changing anything.

"So are you…dating?"

"I wouldn't call it that…we're…exclusively shagging one another," she said, brushing off labels like they were nothing. "And he may have said some other words…"

"He dropped the L-word on you, didn't he?"

"Yes." She couldn't lie to Ophelia. And if she could trust someone with that piece of information, it was her best friend and potential future sister-in-law.

"Did you say it back?"

Eleanor shook her head. "No, I'm not ready to say that. I've never said it to anyone…not even Beck."

"Jasper doesn't seem like the kind of person that doesn't take his commitment seriously, so he will wait for you to be ready to say it on your own."

Ophelia was right. It didn't take a genius to see that Jasper was a dedicated man. He had solved the mystery of her father's murder and brought justice to him without giving a thought to his own wants and how he could benefit from it. The only reason he had done it was so that Eleanor could have peace in knowing that her father's murderer was brought to justice and the truth was revealed. And afterward, she realized that he had been there all along, protecting her and trying his best to make up for the mistakes that began their relationship in the first place. He had come clean about Mandy and their scheme to protect her from further harm and now dedicated every moment to making her happy.

"So…about your hair and makeup," Eleanor said, changing the topic.

The two girls spent the afternoon getting ready with the help of the stylists. Ophelia had left her hair down and had it curled at the advice of Eleanor, who knew that Ophelia had beautiful hair that she needed to show off. Only a small amount was clipped back with a diamond clip Eleanor gifted to her friend as a belated birthday gift since she had missed Ophelia's birthday with all the commotion of finding out the truth and Ophelia being in New York. For her own hair, Eleanor had her stylist pull it up and apply some softer curls. She usually didn't wear her hair up, but she wanted to show that she had matured and that things were going to be different in the monarchy going forward. It was all part of the unending support she was giving to her twin brother because she didn't want her father's legacy to fail.

"Now we're ready," she declared, turning around and grinning at her friend.

"You look amazing, Len," Ophelia complimented, hugging her.

Ophelia went off to find Liam to make their entrance into the ball while Eleanor stayed behind in her room. She had told Jasper to meet her here like last year and they would go down together. Fiddling with her mask, she suddenly felt self-conscious about the choice of dress for tonight. She had chosen a floor length purple gown that had a few diamonds sewn in at the top. It was nothing like she'd worn before and she never felt more naked, though she'd worn a lot less than this. Normally, she felt so confident, but lately she'd doubted herself a lot more because of all the changes that had been happening. Her stomach tied itself in knots as she heard a soft knock at the door and came to answer it. Opening the door, she saw Jasper standing in a tuxedo. He stood for a moment, apparently speechless as he looked at her.

"You look…amazing," he said, smiling after a moment before holding up a single red rose.

"I…thank you," she replied, blushing some as she took the rose. Jasper never ceased to surprise her. "You look pretty suave yourself, Jaspuur from Las Vegas."

He held out his arm for her and she happily took it as she walked out, placing the rose on the vanity before she left. Her mask in hand, she walked with him down the hall and knew that this was the first official, royal event that she would be attending with Jasper as her boyfriend. Not her bodyguard or the man in the shadows, but the man who was at her side and had been there all along. Though they hadn't made things official in words or to the press, it was obvious to anyone who was paying attention that they were an item. They made it down to the staircase before Eleanor took a deep breath. Twenty-three steps. That was all there was on this stair case and she knew that she would make it down with grace and dignity with everyone staring.

"Her Royal Highness, Princess Eleanor, escorted by Jasper Frost," the announcer said.

Eleanor tightened her grip on Jasper's arm and held her head high as she came down the stairs with him. She was proud that he was her date and that everyone could see that he was hers. Most people were shocked that she was dressed formally, but that didn't bother her since she knew that the opinions of others didn't matter to her. All she cared about was making this night perfect so that Liam's succession to the throne went smoothly. And that was what she intended for tonight.

"That went well," Jasper whispered as they reached the bottom and joined the crowds.

She smiled, "It did. Thank you."

Liam came in next, with Ophelia on his arm. Everyone whispered and murmured as they did, but Eleanor cut them all some cross looks that put a stop to it. No one needed to gossip about her best friend and her brother. Not while she was around. Ophelia looked beautiful and she knew that her brother had picked the right girl. It was just a matter of letting everyone heal from the events that unfolded before Liam and Ophelia could take the next step in their relationship, which Eleanor hoped for. For now, they were going to enjoy the evening as the music started. Ophelia and Liam began to dance and seemed to be in their own world as Eleanor watched, happy that they were immune to the glares of everyone else.

"Dance with me?" she heard Jasper ask in a low voice as he held his hand out for her.

She slipped her hand in his and he pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I recall the last time we danced, you said you owned me."

"Perhaps, but I think it's the other way around now, Princess," he told her.

"As in, I own you?" she asked, arching her brow at him. "This is an interesting turn of events."

"I've been at your mercy for a long time now. Since you started flying all around the world."

He had followed her from country to country in the period of time after her father died. She had been searching for something she couldn't find in any of those places to numb the pain of losing her father and brother within a span of months. And she was positive that Jasper had kept her from getting into more trouble than she could bring on herself. Liam had let it slip that Jasper had told him that he had thrown guys out on their ass instead of letting them take advantage of her while she was drunk or high. It was something she was now thankful for.

Resting her head against his chest as the music slowed, she heard his heart beating and smiled. She loved Jasper…even if she couldn't say it out loud right now. He had been there for her when no one else was, even if he stayed in the shadows and let her mourn in her own way. And now that she was trying to change her life, he was there to support her in her new path, guiding her and showing her that he wasn't going to walk away. It was the first real support she'd had outside of her twin brother.

"I never thanked you…for being here when I needed you the most," she whispered, holding her place against his chest.

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised, kissing her head.

Eleanor smiled as she swayed to the music with Jasper, content to actually enjoy the first masquerade of her life. Surely there would be more drama in the morning, but tonight…it was about happiness.


End file.
